


here in the darkness I know myself.

by fade131



Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Captivity, M/M, Possession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-03 13:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4103335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fade131/pseuds/fade131
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's coming, can't you hear it? It's gonna be okay. There's nothing to be scared of. It's coming. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	here in the darkness I know myself.

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a special extra for this week's [B.A.P Bingo Challenge](http://bapbingochallenge.tumblr.com/) prompt, Ghosts/Paranormal.
> 
> Credit where credit is due: this is partly inspired by the SCP Foundation. Enjoy~

_It’s coming._ Daehyun can hear the whispers through the door. Scraping noises, like something dragging against the hard cement floor. He checks the door label again – 1524S – and looks back down at his pad as he keeps walking, around the simple containment level, through the rows. This level is all single-unit housing – high ceilinged warehouse rooms full of 5 meter square boxes, cement and wood and plexiglass and woven straw. Each one houses a different object, a different thing determined safe enough not to break out of containment under minimal monitoring. The screen flickers back to brightness under the tap of his fingers, loading slowly once he types in the sequence.

 _Object 1524S_ , the file reads, _classification: safe. To be stored in a single room on-site in [REDACTED] facility._ He scans down the file, past the room specifications, past testing results, all the way down to the permissions listed at the bottom. _1524S should only come in contact with one researcher per day. See Doctor Kim to acquire authorization._

Daehyun knows better than to follow that directive. Doctor Kim will ask him why he wants approval to speak with 1524S, and then he’ll want a written list of Daehyun’s questions, and he’ll know if Daehyun fakes them – and then Daehyun will be in psych eval again, repeating the same thing on rote, waiting and waiting and hoping they don’t selectively modify his memory. After the last time, Daehyun can’t take that chance. It’s taken months just to figure out where he was again.

_It’s coming, it’s coming, can’t you hear it? It’s coming. It’s okay, it’s all gonna be okay, it’s coming—_

He’d hoped there would be a secondary researcher assigned to the project, but that was too much to hope from something like this. 1524S is safe, after all, which means it’s boring for most of the other researchers. Doctor Kim has a lot of “boring” objects under his purview and Daehyun wonders if that’s suspicious or just another sign of his dedication to the Institution.

He’s just about finished, passing the hallway that will take him back to his shared office to log his report – nothing out of the usual, containment level 4-Safe is clear – when the warning klaxon blares. The lights flicker, go out, then the emergency power kicks in and they stutter back to life. Please remain calm, announces a lilting, automated voice over the site-wide intercom. _Containment breach in basement level 3. Please remain calm. All personnel clearance 4 and lower must report to the Doctor in charge of their unit._

Daehyun takes one last look down the corridor, then bolts back through the rows. He doesn’t have to look at the labels to know when he reaches the right one.

 _It’s coming_ , 1524S is yelling, audible through the simple door on its containment cell, over the automated stay-calm message still pumping through the speakers overhead. _It’s coming, don’t be afraid, let me out, LET ME OUT—_

Daehyun yanks the door open, and the shouting stops.

1524S is curled up in the furthest corner, hands over his ears. They’ve shaved his head again, Daehyun registers dimly, but he must have struggled, the buzz is jagged in places, his scalp cut and healing in others. He looks up – because the shouting stopped, because the whispers have gone quiet, Daehyun knows – and he sees the lab coat, the touchpad, the Institution name badge, he doesn’t see Daehyun.

1524S has eyes like trapped stars, bright white and luminous, the glow spilling over his skin and casting his features into sharp relief. Daehyun thinks he can see the rest from here, even in the gloomy half-darkness of the containment unit – sickly paled skin, fragile and bird-boned, where he used to be tanned and strong and warm. The marks at his temples are like lightning, spreading out across his skin, pink like just-healed scars, a shattered maze of raised markings. 1524S draws his knees up closer to his chest, casting his eyes around the little room, brief illumination in the darkness. There’s nothing there, only Daehyun in the doorway.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” he says, trying to sound gentle, soothing, _please stay calm_ echoing in the background. “Youngjae, come on. They’ll have the breach under control soon, we need to be out of here.”

“It’s coming,” 1524S whispers, and the voice over the speakers overhead warps, the quiet female voice whirring like a skipping record, distorting, rebooting into a host of whispered voices. _It’s coming, it’s coming, don’t be afraid, DON’T BE AFRAID—_

“Youngjae,” Daehyun breathes out, begs, takes the chance and steps forward into the cell. The door doesn’t swing shut behind him. 1524S is still staring at him, bright eyed, blank faced, frightened. “Youngjae, it’s me, it’s Daehyun. Please, we need to go.”

1524S blinks, watching him, head tilting to the side. Uncomprehending. Daehyun wonders if Doctor Kim has ever gotten more of a response than this. He takes another step forward and kneels down. Close enough – 1524S squirms a little in response, twists his head away, eyes blazing brighter for a moment before starting to dim. Daehyun reaches out like he might touch him, steels himself for the darkness when 1524S closes his eyes.

“Youngjae,” he repeats, and that earns him a shuddering breath. The intercom is getting louder, repeating the same words, breathless and plaintive and growing, growing, growing, like a pressure in the back of his head, and it’s never been this bad before, he wonders if he’ll survive it. 1524S covers his ears and the noise gets louder, shouting, screaming, wailing, agonized, _it’s coming it’s coming let us out let me out don’t be afraid there is nothing to fear now is the time of redemption now those who live imbued in sin will perish it’s coming it’s coming who are you to free us who are you to speak our name don’t be afraid be afraid be afraid be afraid BE AFRAID—_

“Daehyun please—” Youngjae cries out, reaching for him, and that’s all he needs, grabs Youngjae’s hands and pulls them both up, out, out, through the rows and down the corridor, the voices chasing at their heels, Youngjae’s palm is cold and clammy against his and Daehyun can feel him shaking but he doesn’t falter. Down three flights and through two more twisting hallways, past a dozen empty offices, doors left half open, the intercom is still sounding the alarm down here – _please stay calm_ – but Daehyun can hear it changing behind them, twisting, and he pushes them to run faster. Youngjae whimpers, but he keeps the pace.

They burst through the doors onto the loading dock, the lights in the shipping office flickering off behind them. Youngjae flings the door closed again, like he might barricade the voices in, but Daehyun doesn’t let him stay distracted – lifts him down onto the floor and god he’s light, lighter than he ever was, Daehyun jumps down beside him and it’s quiet here still. He strips off his lab coat and makes Youngjae put it on, it covers up the thin shirt he’s wearing, the marks on his skin, the number branded onto his wrist. It doesn’t hide his loose cotton pants or his bare feet but it’s enough to get them across the lot unquestioned, security guards don’t give them a passing glance, they’re all heading for the buildings, hearing the deep bass _thrum-thrum-thrum_ pounding out of the windows, seeing the lights flicker and flash and explode in shimmers of glass behind reinforced windows. Daehyun doesn’t even have to drive through the barrier – security left the arm up, and then they’re on the road, chasing the horizon.

“It’s coming,” Youngjae says, three days later. They’ve been driving as much as they can, only stopping when there’s no choice. The road goes straight as far as Daehyun can see, fields on either side – he’s not sure what they’re growing. Wheat maybe, or corn. It’s too early to tell. They might be far enough from the Institution to stop somewhere for the night. They could both use the rest. Youngjae says, “it’s coming,” and Daehyun’s hands tighten on the wheel, knuckles going white, but when he looks over Youngjae’s eyes are still soft brown, the scars like lightning racing over his skin are still shiny white and long-healed.

“Yeah, well, they can find someone else for it to live in when it gets here,” Daehyun answers, and his voice only wavers a little.

Youngjae turns his eyes back to the road. “You don’t have to be afraid,” he says, soft and matter of fact, but Daehyun can hear what he’s not saying.

_You don’t have to be afraid, but I do._


End file.
